The present invention relates to a novel and useful dental bur which is particularly useful in removing composite dental posts and other dental material from dental canals.
Dental core and post reconstitution of non-vital teeth requires the use of a root canal post. In the past, metallic posts have been used with some success. However, it has been found that metal posts are difficult to remove when a failure or fracture of the post occurs. Removal techniques have often damaged dentin material located laterally relative to the metal posts.
Recently, carbon and quartz fiber-based composite posts have been available to dental practitioners as a substitute for the traditional metallic posts. Such composite posts offer certain advantages in that they are more flexible and dissipate stress to a greater degree than metallic posts. However, despite these advantages, composite posts also break requiring removal of the same from the tooth canal. Further, re-treatment of a failed root canal filling may necessitate removal of a post to access the canal.
In the past, ultrasonic diamond coated files, normally used to remove a metallic post have been used to remove composite posts. It has been found that the ultrasonic file is very difficult to control and often drifts into the surrounding dentin tooth structure causing damage thereto. Likewise, a hollow end cutting drill, much like a hole saw, used to remove metal posts adequately functions to remove metal posts, but tends to drift laterally when used to remove composite posts, again causing damage to the surrounding dentin material.
In addition, dental material such as gutta percha having a core of plastic material, such as Vectra, must be partially removed from dental canals prior to post installation. Such material hermetically seals the lower portion of the canal. In the past removal devices have damaged the dentin at the peripheral portion of the canal when gutta percha and Vectra materials were partially removed to provide a space for metal or fiber posts.
A dental bur which successfully and accurately removes dental composite posts and other material would be a notable advance in the dental field.